Worries And Concerns (Pt 3 of Puppy Dog Eyes series)
by Valenka
Summary: No one could deny Cassandra was beautiful, but soon she'd glow with another beauty.


Jenkins, Eve and Flynn strode up the long annex hallway away from the knight's lab while Stone and Ezekiel sat in the main room doing whatever it was they did when unsupervised. The white haired man had been inspecting the Draconite shard the team had recovered, according to legend the stone came from the head of a living dragon and possessed magical properties; unfortunately due to rarity no one knew what those magical properties were.

"...you're stumped is what you're saying." Eve said as they walked, Jenkins nodded with an air of disappointment while Flynn just looked to be lost in his own thought as usual.

The Caretaker opened his mouth to respond when suddenly Cassandra screamed, in less than a heartbeat everyone leapt into action, all running in the direction of the women's bathroom but Eve made it there first with the others grounding to a halt behind her, almost comicaly slamming into each other's backs; Stone and Ezekiel practically pushed Jenkins to the back of the group despite him being the one Cassandra had been dating for almost a year. Without words Eve pushed the door open revealing the white tiled walls of the bathroom and Cassandra stood with her back to them, she appeared to be holding something though they couldn't see what.

"Cassandra, what happened?" Stone's voice was full of concern.

That unwritten rule of _men don't go in the women's bathroom_ seemed to be hard at work because Eve was the first to go to Cassandra's side, looking down to what the redhead held she gasped. Before Jenkins could barge his way past the other Librarians Eve was speaking.

"Okay, out. All of you. There's no evil monster or deadly villain to fight, shoo."

The men moved away save for Jenkins who Flynn had to drag by the sleeve of his herringbone suit jacket, he was reluctant to move but knowing she wasn't in danger helped his feet to move; the door fell shut. As soon as the door clicked Eve turned and went back to Cassandra's side, arms slipping around her in a gentle hug. The crying redhead's eyes didn't leave the object in her hands.

"Are you alright?" The blonde asked softly.

"I don't know." Came Cassie's shaky response.

"Are the tears good or bad?"

"I don't know." She repeated as though those words were the only ones she could say.

Eve sighed and just pulled Cassandra closer.

"Cassandra, that's allowed but I think you need to say it." The blonde tried to sound encouraging and somewhat motherly. "It'll help I think."

"If... I say it then it'll be true." She stuttered through her soft tears.

"This isn't something you can just ignore. Say it, Cassandra."

Eve tried to keep her tone soft and full of encouragement, normally the redhead was brave and strong but there and then she looked as though she'd shatter.

With a sigh Cassandra finally said it.

"I'm... pregnant." Her hands gripped the pregnancy test tightly in her hands.

The redhead shook as though she were in some kind of shock, Eve wasn't a hundred percent sure how to comfort her since she'd never had a child and had no nieces or nephews. The blonde wasn't the one Cassandra needed though, Eve knew that. The Guardian couldn't help but look Cassandra over, she wore a white sleeveless blouse with delicate lace work on the collar and a pumpkin colored pleated skirt that stopped just above her knees, on her feet were a pair of peach lace up ankle boots that gave her just a little height that left her an inch or so shorter than Eve. No one could deny Cassandra's beauty – Jenkins often told her it rivalled her genius – soon though her stomach would expand causing her to glow with another beauty, that of motherhood.

"I think I need to sit down."

Eve leapt into action helping Cassandra to slide down to sit on the blue floor beside the sink rather than letting her friend simply slump down and then settled beside her so they were both facing the bathroom door.

"Cassandra, I know this might be hard for you but you have to calm down. I don't see why you're panicking so much." Eve paused for a second or two. "Wait, is it not-?"

"Of course it's Jenkins'!" The redhead almost yelled.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have even thought that." Eve sighed. "You have to stop panicking though, this isn't like you. Jenkins is probably worrying his bow tie off outside wondering why you screamed. You need him right now, not me." Cassie nodded knowing her blonde friend was correct. "If it's how he'll react that has you like this you need to know that whatever you're imagining is worst case scenario, just tell him."

Without waiting for another word Eve stood and strode across the reasonably sized room to the door, she pulled it open to find Jenkins and the three other Librarians had their ears pressed to it. Eve sighed again, she shouldn't have been surprised.

"Okay, back it up."

They obeyed just enough for Eve to get back into the annex hallway. No matter how hard he tried to hide it Eve could see the tension in Jenkins' body rising.

"What's going on?" The white haired man's words were both a question and a demand.

"Yeah, is Cassandra okay?" Flynn added.

"She's fine." Eve assured. "Right now she needs you, Jenkins. The rest of you just give her some space." Ezekiel muttered a _you sure she's alright_ but everyone ignored him in that moment. "Seriously, Jenkins you're her boyfriend go talk to her."

Hearing that word was still strange to him, surly he was too old to be referred to in such ways? He hated the way Ezekiel insisted on calling him Cassandra's Sugar Daddy too. Partner perhaps was a better word, or maybe inamorato. There would be time for him to debate exactly which word applied to him later though, there and then Cassie needed him. He straightened up – still unsure as to what was going on – and entered the women's bathroom in search of his darling redhead; _this is literally the only room in the entire annex and Library I've never been in._

The others watched as he entered the bathroom.

"What was she holding, Baired?" Stone questioned as soon as the door shut again.

"Yeah, Cassandra looked freaked out and now she's crying." Ezekiel added.

"Come on now guys, this is clearly between Jenkins and Cassandra, like Eve said just leave them alone. Go on." Flynn gestured for them to leave with both hands and thankfully they did.

Silence went on but not for long, as Eve stared at the floor with her back to the bathroom door Flynn shuffled over as nonchalantly as he could, which wasn't very.

"Okay, what's going on? What is it? She's pregnant isn't she?"

Eve's head snapped up.

"How the hell do you know that?"

"I knew it!" Flynn practically jumped up and down having solved yet another puzzle. "Come on it's obvious, she's been eating more, whenever Ezekiel orders pizza she has to leave the room – usually claiming she's going to look for Jenkins – what else could it be? Either she spends way to much time doing things with Jenkins I don't want to think about or she's pregnant."

"Alright, alright she is but shut up. You don't have to tell the world."

Flynn looked at her apologetically and muted himself.

XXXX

Meanwhile in the bathroom the knight had sat himself down beside Cassandra and had an arm around her shoulders holding her close, that had eased the tears almost instantly.

"Tell me what's wrong, My Love." His words were soft and evenly spoken. He kissed the top of her head. "I hate seeing you cry."

"Here." Was all she said before pushing the test into his free hand and burring her face into his white shirt clad chest.

The second he realised what was in his hand and the result it displayed Jenkins froze, almost as though magic were to blame for his sudden loss of mobility.

"You're pregnant." He whispered.

It wasn't needed but Cassandra nodded against his chest anyway. Everything stopped for a brief time, Jenkins didn't know how to respond; ancient magical artefact, Camelot, sword fights, little-known myths, the name of a good tailor, reaching something off a high shelf, that Jenkins knew about and how to do but the woman he loved being pregnant gave him pause. He'd never felt this far out of his comfort zone and he wasn't quite sure how to respond, then reasons as to her tears started to flood his mind.

"Are you sad because you thought I'd be angry? That I wouldn't want it?"

"Do you?" Came her quick retort.

Did he? After over fifteen hundred years of life and his first love never returning his affection Jenkins had ceased all thoughts of family, of course he loved the other Librarians and Eve like family but an actual child had never occurred to him. When he finally answered his voice was so quiet.

"... I never thought about it. When I was mortal I didn't even think about it. I was a knight who could have died at any moment and then I was an immortal. A child isn't something that has ever crossed my mind..." _Am I repeating myself?_ "... I'm not opposed to the idea though." Cassandra finally looked at him then and it was in that moment looking into her eyes that he made up his mind. "I like the idea of having a little you, bold red hair and big blue eyes."

"You'd be a good father." She told him while snuggling closer into his chest.

"My reaction isn't the real reason you're upset though is it." It wasn't a question but still she answered.

"No. It's because... because, I could..." The tears started again. "I could die at any moment, Jenkins. My death sentence is in my head, what if I'm six months and then it strikes? What if I do give birth and then die? The baby would be motherless."

"That won't happen." He reassured pulling her closer, Cassandra continued to sob against his chest leaving his shirt damp.

"How do you know? How can you be so sure? I... I don't want it to be alone."

"Our child wouldn't be alone, it would always have me. And I know you'd be there to raise our child because you're a fighter, Cassandra Cillian, you never give in." Jenkins paused for a moment. "If you decide you don't want to do this, I'll stand by you, but I think the reason you're crying right now is because you really don't want to give up our child, you're just scared. It's your body and your choice though."

"Why do you have to be so understanding and good?" She asked in jest while wiping away tears, she'd gotten mascara on his white shirt but he didn't care.

"I guess it's the knight in me, and of course the fact that I love you. I'd never force you to do something against your will, even this."

"So you want to keep it?"

"I'm growing quickly accustom to the idea. People are going to think I'm her Grandfather rather than her Father though and you have nothing to worry about, I'll be right here."

"Screw what people think, if you believe we can do this then... I guess we're having a baby. You're never wrong and as long as you're here I'm okay." She just had to keep repeating Jenkins telling her that she was brave and a fighter.

Cassandra pressed a deep kiss to the older man's lips then cuddled into his neck for a moment, his scent always did wonders to calm her, tea, old books and something that was unique to the knight. It comforted her, soothed her, late at night if she woke from a nightmare she'd cuddle into him and know that everything would be alright. Suddenly she pulled away with a confused expression.

"What do you mean _her_?"

Jenkins grinned.

"I have a feeling and you were the one that said I'm never wrong."

"There's always a first time." She teased.

Sat there looking at the man she loved it seemed silly to have cried and panicked, their baby would never be alone because Jenkins would always be there and he was right, Cassandra was a fighter. With a baby on the way she'd fight even harder.

When they emerged from the bathroom and re-entered the annex's main room it was hand in hand. Flynn and Eve stood at their desk looking at a map no doubt for their next deadly mission, Ezekiel on the long table typing away on his phone and Stone had perched himself on the steps beside a stack of leather bound books while he flipped through another. It was the historian who noticed them first, he stood after setting down the book and strode across the room to his friends.

"Cassandra are you alright?" There was great concern in his voice but it eased when she nodded.

"We're fine." She gripped Jenkins' hand a little tighter.

"Cassie just needed to calm down and talk a bit." Said Jenkins.

"You looked like you were about to have a panic attack, mate."

"I'm fine, Ezekiel, really." She took a breath. "Jenkins and I need to tell you something though." That got everyone's attention, Eve just smiled. When the immortal squeezed her hand reassuringly Cassandra continued. "Em, okay. Well, Jenkins and I are... we're going to have a baby."

There was a pause as the information sank in and then Ezekiel grinned.

"Congratulations, mates."

With those words Cassandra knew everything was going to be alright, all her worries and concerns were meaningless.


End file.
